Had a beer with a chopper god (my universe... my gods....)

Ran into Ron Cupp ("Cuppy") at the Eagleson run today. I beg off the run. It is basically a bumper car parade of drunks. I waited until the pirates had left town and I snuck in and had a beer with a guy I wish everyone could have a chance to know. Ronny has built and forgotten more bikes than most of us will ever see.
He posed for a picture with a rigid sporty he built for his wife a few years ago. He nearly died a couple years back and they are raffling the bike off to offset medical bills. You're the man, Cuppy!

Everyone needs a long term project

So we've established that I can't say no to a project regardless of how good a job it has done proving itself to be a dead end deal. Old Fords hold particular sway with me.
A few years ago, I tried to buy a 27 Model T touring car from my friend and neighbor, Don. He had actually owned the car since the early sixties when he and his car club buddies had bought the car for a little of nothing and used it for knocking around and local parades, etc.
After they had thrashed it out, it spent some serious time waiting for its new hoorah in the corner of Don's barn. I looked at it politely and talked about what a great car it was for several years. Finally, I couldn't take it any more. I had to quit circling and go for the kill. I asked Don if he would be interested in selling the car. He was very polite, but told me he just couldn't sell it.
Time passed, and then one day he stopped by the house with a proposal. He suggested that we take joint ownership and restore it as a joint project. It made sense somehow and shortly thereafter, the car ended up in my barn.
Work, keeping up around the house and time with the kids has kept me from making any serious progress on the T, but it's here, it's safe and I will conquer it one day....

Gumby sighting

Found Gumby. He is NOT a figment of our folkloric imagination. He exists and I will prove it beyond reasonable doubt at Davenport in short order...

Had the Goose out tonight

If you can listen to one of these motors wind up and snarl into a shift and not shed a tear, you can't have a soul....

My First Bike

I'm don't know exactly where it came from, but I am pretty sure that time spent at farm auctions and antique stores with my Dad as a kid twisted my perception of what was cool towards old, broken stuff, forsaking new and shiny stuff. He adjusted my focus to see a beautiful restored antique platform rocker (now sitting in my living room) while looking at a grubby old chair in a pile at the dump. It got me looking at cars and bikes in the same way. I have never been particularly impressed with pretty motorcycles, preferring basketcases and ratty old bikes with a soul over sleek, pretty, new boringly reliable stuff.
It was with that perspective that I selected my first bike in the spring of 1982. I was a junior at Michigan State reading my favorite periodical, the "Wheeler Deeler", a local free classified rag in the Lansing area. My eyes locked on an ad for a 1941 Indian Military 741. The guy wanted $750, a ridiculous amount in my estimation, but it was close by so I went to check it out. Once I saw it, I could see it was clearly going to need some work, but it was so damn cool; Flathead V-twin (albeit a little small), spring mounted solo seat and a foot clutch/tankshift set up.
After a little dickering, I peeled out $450 from my student loan funds and I was loading it in my friend Ron's pickup. Once it was home, I gave her a valve adjustment, filed the points, installed new carb gaskets and a wrong-sized m/c battery from Meijers. Much to my surprise, while following the starting instructions in the manual, it fired up almost immediately.
Although a 30.50" flathead is no asphalt burner, I put a bunch of miles on that bike. It was very cheap to own. Anything that needed to be fixed was easily accomplished with a very basic set of tools and just a few bucks.
It all ended on a humid August 25, 1986 night while riding home along with my buddy Rob on his 73 Honda 350-4. We were in "Deadman's curve" on Charlotte Hwy. between Mulliken and Portland. As we cut into the curve, I caught some loose gravel and went down and over the handlebars into a guardrail. As I laid there wondering what just happened I realized the old Indian was laying there on it's side, still running. I think Rob shut it off and stood it back up. As I sat there trying to regain my composure, I realized something was not right with my right shoulder. Rob assured me it was probably just dislocated, but I wasn't buying it.
I decided I needed to go to the hospital, so we did what any pair of clear thinking 25 year old males would do. We left the scene of the accident riding double on Rob's Honda and rode back to his house where he could take me in his truck to the hospital. There is alot more to the story that I would love to tell, but of course afterwards I would have to kill you. Suffice it to say my collarbone was broken into three distinct pieces and at my wife's behest the bike was for sale the next day. I sold it to an older guy from Ohio wrecked for $1,200 and patted myself on the back for being such a shrewd salesman. I won't tell you what these bikes are selling for now....

Bringouturdead

Bought and sold this summer. This thing was an absolute hoot. I had real mixed feelings about selling it but it went where it belonged. I'll bet if I ask nice I may even get a ride in it again down the road...

More Chief Progress

Primary and tranny lubed, wiring just about done. Something is causing a short but the layout is stone simple.. I'll get it next session. I had to quit to go for a ride in the Buick.
There's a cool new glow out in the barn though...

Stretching it out with the '50 Special

Wonder what the po' folk are doing today?.....

More Progress in the Last Six Hours than the Last Six Months

The motor has been gone over and all retorqued. Oil pump primed. Valves are adjusted and points set.
If time allows tomorrow I will finish buttoning up wiring and add an oil and fuel tank.

I could be cussing this thing as it doesn't start as early as tomorrow!